Regarding 9-11, why would any General send fighter jets into the

Ocean View - Regarding 9-11, why would any General send fighter jets into the air unarmed to respond to a national security threat ? The idea that those pilots were considering sacrificing themselves for the team is noble but also very avoidable, and the reason will come out, if the answer is " we don't keep munitions on jets in the states,' China, the Middle East and North Korea will make note of that